Sony Xperia XZ in a nutshell: UK price, release date, specs and more

The Sony Xperia XZ is a rumoured new smartphone from Sony Mobile, expected to launch later in 2016. Here’s everything you need to know about the Xperia XZ, including rumoured specs, UK price and release date and how the Xperia XZ compares to Sony’s other Xperia X family handsets like the Xperia X.

What is the Sony Xperia XZ?

The Sony Xperia XZ has been leaked as the latest smartphone from the Japanese tech giant, set to launch at the IFA 2016 expo in September 2016. It’s the latest in Sony’s Xperia X range, rather than the newest member of the Xperia Z family (which appears to have ended with last year’s Xperia Z5).

Rumours suggest that this latest member of the Xperia X phone family will be a full-priced flagship mobile packing high-end specs, including a Full HD 5.1-inch screen and Snapdragon’s 820 processor.

Sony has already launched four phones in its Xperia X family in 2016: the Xperia X, Xperia XA, Xperia XA Ultra and Xperia X Performance (which never came to the UK). These Xperia mobiles cover a wide range of prices, from roughly £200 to over £500, yet all of them offer Sony’s smart camera tech and slick design.

When will the Sony Xperia XZ be officially launched?

The Sony Xperia XZ is likely to be launched at Sony’s press conference at IFA 2016, a massive tech expo that takes place in Berlin every year. The Sony launch is scheduled to begin at 1pm on Thursday September 1, German time. That means it will kick off at noon here in the UK.

We’ll be there, so check back on September 1 for our full Xperia XZ hands-on review – if indeed the phone is real and finally unveiled.

What are the Sony Xperia XZ specs?

The leaked Sony Xperia XZ specs are as follows:

5.1-inch IPS screen with Full HD (1920×1080) resolution

Snapdragon 820 processor

3GB RAM

32GB storage

microSD memory card support

Android Marshmallow

Fingerprint sensor

21-megapixel camera

13-megapixel front camera

Type-C USB

How does the Sony Xperia XZ compare to the other Xperia X phones?

The Sony Xperia XZ seems to be a stepping point between the Xperia X and Xperia X Performance in terms of specs, and is perhaps an alternative to the Xperia X Performance for markets where that phone didn’t officially get released (such as here in the UK).

Design-wise the Xperia XZ is similar to the Xperia X and X Performance, from the leaked photos below. It seems to pack much the same features, including Sony’s excellent 21-megapixel camera and 13-megapixel front-facer (which hopefully will boast the same excellent night selfie mode of the Xperia XA Ultra).

One interesting feature is the all-new rear flash, which seems to be extended now. It’s difficult to see, but this could be a new tri-tone LED flash, or perhaps a new sensor like the Galaxy S7’s heart rate monitor.

You can also see the edge-mounted fingerprint sensor on the Xperia XZ, something we enjoyed on the Xperia X and Xperia X Performance. If the screen really is a 5.1-incher then it’ll be marginally bigger than the 5-inch screen found on the Xperia X, X Performance and XA, but nowhere near as big as the mammoth 6-inch panel of the XA Ultra.

As for performance, the Xperia XR should match the Xperia X Performance in benchmarking tests, which also boasted a Snapdragon 820 processor.

What is the Sony Xperia XZ’s UK price and release date?

So far we don’t officially know the Xperia XZ’s UK price and release date, but we’re expecting the phone to hit the UK in September or October 2016 with a price tag of around £549.